Mexico 2016

[N. Jones]

Well I thought that was a very enjoyable race. P1 and P2 were never in doubt but there were plenty of good battles throughout the field. Some of the interviews after the race were also entertaining

Hulkenberg almost drove a really great race, he was never going to be able to hold off the Ferraris, but just blotted his copybook a little with the spin.

Kimi gets a curious strategy again... a lot of the field did around 50 laps on the mediums, Palmer did effectively the entire race on one set, yet Kimi needed to get rid of his after about 23 laps or something. Hmmm.

If anything deserved a penalty today, it was Vettel's "message to Charlie."

Yeah, Kimi pitting after doing about 21 laps on the mediums was curious to me.

[Nitrodaze]

Post-race, after Vettel was instructed to make his way quickly to the podium presentation, the stewards decided they would dish out a ten second penalty to Vettel for collision with Ricciado, after all ceremonies have concluded. Weird ????

If you are thinking the stewards are clowns, you would not be alone. The situation is highly comical to say the least. Ricciado aggressively stuck his nose in, Vettel simply closed the door. The way Ricciado went about it, left Vettel with little option but to do what he did. I think this is a covert way of punishing him for his colorful language on the radio. Whichever way you look at it, it is very abnormal and confusing from a spectator's perspective that the stewards would make one decision which resulted in Verstapenn being unceremoniously ejected from the podium and then later change their mind to eject the replacement of Verstapenn on the podium.

The confusion would suggest that Ricciado is gifted an undeserved podium. How nonsensical, this is the worst showing of an F1 stewardship.

[CNR]

Post-race, after Vettel was instructed to make his way quickly to the podium presentation, the stewards decided they would dish out a ten second penalty to Vettel for collision with Ricciado, after all ceremonies have concluded. Weird ????

If you are thinking the stewards are clowns, you would not be alone. The situation is highly comical to say the least. Ricciado aggressively stuck his nose in, Vettel simply closed the door. The way Ricciado went about it, left Vettel with little option but to do what he did. I think this is a covert way of punishing him for his colorful language on the radio. Whichever way you look at it, it is very abnormal and confusing from a spectator's perspective that the stewards would make one decision which resulted in Verstapenn being unceremoniously ejected from the podium and then later change their mind to eject the replacement of Verstapenn on the podium.

The confusion would suggest that Ricciado is gifted an undeserved podium. How nonsensical, this is the worst showing of an F1 stewardship.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/motorspo...dcddd73b8370b3
ONE WEEK AGO
The key to Sebastian Vettel’s post-race penalty came one week ago, just ahead of the US Grand Prix at Austin. FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting issued an amendment to the rules of engagement for defensive driving.

The amended rule is reproduced in full below.

16) Defensive manoeuvres
16.1 Article 27.5 of the Sporting Regulations states that “ … no car may be driven … in a manner which could be potentially dangerous to other drivers…”, furthermore, Article 27.8 prohibits any manoeuvre “ … liable to hinder other drivers, such as … any abnormal change of direction”.

With this in mind, and with the exception of any move permitted by Article 27.6, any change of direction under braking which results in another driver having to take evasive action will be considered abnormal and hence potentially dangerous to other drivers. Any such move will be reported to the stewards.

The rule essentially outlawed any driver from changing their line under braking in order to fend off a passing move. It was nicknamed the “Verstappen rule” in the wake of criticism of the Red Bull teenager’s defensive techniques against Kimi Raikkonen in Hungary and Lewis Hamilton in Japan.

This rule change would be the key to what unfolded after the chequered flag at Hermanos Rodriguez.

[Big Ben]

Awesome ending to the race, hilarious. Wheel-to-wheel battling with emotions going high and a funny podium "waiting"!

Vettel is one crazy guy, when he is angry, but it adds spice to F1. Well, at least people can't complain drivers are boring and we don't have characters in F1.

His hissy fits are quite charming. Lovable character. And the other spoilt brat is quite charming as well. Verstappen should have been penalized for running Rosberg off the track as well.

[jens]

Ah, Vettel got a penalty. Oh, never mind. It must be the new "Verstappen rule" - for the smallest of offences. I have seen defence like that for decades and nothing happened.

But action was great, nothing can take that away. TBH, I needed to cool down a bit as well.

[The Black Knight]

Delighted that overrated pissy little German got a penalty for what happened with Ricciardo. He was one of the most vocal drivers about Verstappen moving under braking and it is only fitting he falls foul of the Verstappen rule before Max himself.

Now he should also get a ban for his behaviour over team radio. If he doesn't, it sets a precedent that any driver can verbally abuse the stewards and get away with it. This is not acceptable sporting behaviour in any sport.

[Franky]

Team radio is team radio. People are different and everyone has different tolerance in high stress moments. If you want 100% politically correct team radio, then you might as well have AI race instead. If you want to blame anyone, then whoever the people are selecting the radio messages for TV broadcast should be your target.

And I wouldn't compare Vettel's move with Verstappen's one against Räikkonen in Hungary as it was not as dangerous. Ricciardo has plenty of room when he did the move and in the turn it would had been a question who has the biggest balls anyway.

[COD]

This is what Ricciardo had to say, agree 100%
"“I didn't understand the start, how you can be leading the race, defend, lock your wheels and go off-track and still stay in the lead. I think Lewis deserved a penalty, I think anyone in that position deserves a penalty.
Read more at http://www.crash.net/f1/news/234908/...IIZ3WEjQsGB.99

But it is also due to track. Hope they put sandtrap or something there for next year that will really punish that kind of move

[AndyL]

Team radio is team radio. People are different and everyone has different tolerance in high stress moments. If you want 100% politically correct team radio, then you might as well have AI race instead.

Just to be clear, I think most people are complaining specifically about Vettel directly insulting Charlie Whiting, not his general potty-mouthing.

I don't buy this argument that disrespecting the officials is just an uncontrollable reaction to stress.

If you want the proof, you can see it in what happened in the English Premier (football) League at the start of this season.
For many years, it's been common for players to confront, crowd around or yell at referees when decisions went against them. This behaviour was routinely excused by people saying that that the passion of the players is so intense, the stakes are so high, they can't help themselves, etc.
This year the FA announced a new zero-tolerance policy towards this; that players would be sent off for such dissent. Pundits predicted chaos on the first day with the season, with dozens of red cards being shown to players who just couldn't help expressing their feelings.
And what happened? No dissent, no red cards. Turns out that behaviour was completely under the players' control all along. They did it not because they couldn't help it, but because they could get away with it.

If you want to blame anyone, then whoever the people are selecting the radio messages for TV broadcast should be your target.

You have a point there. Just like the driver coaching messages, when the FIA went down that crazy blind alley of increasingly complex radio rules. It turned out the right answer to fans not wanting to hear drivers being coached, was to simply not broadcast it.

[Franky]

But that situation was a bit more complicated than just Verstappen vs Vettel. If there would had not been a very fast Ricciardo closing in on Vettel, then I'd say it was extreme overreacting. When you've got a driver in front of you who should let you pass because of getting an advantage and he does not let you pass, then you get a bit angry. But the feeling multiplies when you've got even faster guy catching you in an alarming speed.

Football players ...